Bibliometric Study Applied to the Overtopping Wave Energy Converter Device

The present study aims to analyze the state of the art of scientific studies about the Overtopping device used to convert sea wave energy into electrical energy, by means the Bibliometric methodology. The development of this study took place through the selection of articles from conference proceedings, as well as national and international journals. The Bibliometric methodology consists of a statistical tool that allows quantifying the measurement of production indexes. Using selected keywords, it was conducted a survey of studies in the online databases of Science Direct, SciELO and Google Scholar. The works found then went through a filtering process, in order to limit the Bibliometric study only to studies about Overtopping devices as sea Wave Energy Converter (WEC). Finally, the investigation of these selected articles was carried out under the optics of production and authorship study, content study and study of bibliographic references. Where it was identified growth in publications related to the topic, methodologies used and, among other indicators, the authors most cited in the analyzed articles. The predominant keywords used were “Wave Energy Converter” and “Overtopping”. It was noted that Brazilian universities are leaders in the productivity, presenting more than 36% of the scientific production regarding Overtopping WECs

Modeling of the resin transfer molding process including viscosity dependence with time and temperature

Flow behavior inside the mold cavity of liquid molding processes such as resin transfer molding (RTM) is important information that is necessary to determine filling time and void formation. Most of the studies found in the literature use isothermal models with Newtonian fluids and constant viscosities. However, for some specific applications, the mold filling time dependence on temperature and the viscosity dependence on time and temperature must be considered to precisely predict the flow advance inside the mold. In this study, a viscosity model, that accounts for temperature and time dependence is coupled with a standard computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model to simulate the resin advance inside an RTM mold cavity. The model is simpler than similar methods that describe viscosity as a function of temperature and resin conversion. Nevertheless, the results show that the proposed model is capable of calculating flow advance, air and resin temperatures, and viscosity changes with time and temperature as expected in actual RTM and correlated processing of thick parts or with low injection pressure or high fiber content

Transformation of Water Wave Spectra into Time Series of Surface Elevation

Spectral wave modelling is widely used to simulate large-scale wind–wave processes due to its low computation cost and relatively simpler formulation, in comparison to phase-resolving or hydrodynamic models. However, some applications require a time-domain representation of sea waves. This article proposes a methodology to transform the wave spectrum into a time series of water surface elevation for applications that require a time-domain representation of ocean waves. The proposed method uses a generated phase spectrum and the inverse Fourier transform to turn the wave spectrum into a time series of water surface elevation. The consistency of the methodology is then verified. The results show that it is capable of correctly transforming the wave spectrum, and the significant wave height of the resulting time series is within 5% of that of the input spectrum

A novel BESO methodology for topology optimization of ‎reinforced concrete structures : a two-loop approach

A new topology optimization methodology for reinforced concrete structures is proposed. The structures are optimized in two iterative loops, where different sensitivity criteria are used to determine the regions to be topologically optimized. For the first loop, the compliance criterion is used to determine the higher compliance elements and, consequently, remove the concrete from the computational domain. In the next loop, only failed concrete regions (Ottosen failure surface) are replaced by reinforcement, ensuring that complies with the von Mises criterion. In the end, the sizing of the reinforcements is obtained based on the principal forces in the steel regions. Results regarding the mechanical behavior, cost, volume, and mass of the optimized structures are presented in this study. A case study indicated that the proposed methodology can lead to volume, mass, and cost reductions of 20%, 21.5%, and 56%, respectively

Estudo numérico de uma aleta elíptica inserida em uma cavidade quadrada com a superfície superior deslizante submetida à convecção mista

This paper aims to evaluate the heat transfer in a square cavity with an elliptical fin located in different positions on the cavity bottom and with different aspect ratios. The optimal geometry was analised using the Constructal Design principle. A two-dimensional, laminar, steady state and incompressible flow was considered. The thermophysics properties were defined for Pr = 0.71 and they are considered constant, except for the specific mass that was determined by the Boussinesq approximation. A Rayleigh number (RaH) of 104 was adopted to define the natural convection, while a Reynolds number (ReH) of 102 was adopted to define the forced convection. The fin position and its dimensions were varied, keeping the ratio of the fin area to cavity area constant (Φ = 0.05). The optimal geometry that maximizes the heat transfer rate was obtained through the Constructal Law. A mesh was created to solve the problem and it was adequately refined to ensure the accuracy of the results. The governing equations of the problem were solved numerically using the software ANSYS/Fluent®. This study shows that the position of the fin which maximizes the average Nusselt number in these conditions is at the point X1 ≈ 0.3 of the lower surface. For the aspect ratio (r) of the fin, it was observed that the minimization of the average Nusselt number occurs for r between 15 and 25. Considering all studied geometries, the optimized one can reach a performance around 50% superior if compared with the worst one, proving the importance of geometric evaluation in this kind of engineering problem, as well as the effectiveness of the Constructal approach.Este trabalho pretende avaliar a transferência de calor em uma cavidade quadrada com uma aleta elíptica localizada em diferentes posições no fundo da cavidade e com diferentes razões de aspecto. A geometria ideal foi analisada usando o princípio do Design Constructal. Foi considerado um escoamento bidimensional, laminar, estacionário e incompressível. As propriedades termo físicas foram definidas para Pr = 0.71 e são consideradas constantes, exceto para a massa específica que foi determinada pela aproximação de Boussinesq. Um número Rayleigh (RaH) de 104 foi adotado para definir a convecção natural, enquanto um número de Reynolds (ReH) de 102 foi adotado para definir a convecção forçada. A posição da aleta e suas dimensões foram variadas, mantendo constante a relação entre a área da aleta e a área da cavidade (Φ = 0,05). A geometria ideal que maximiza a taxa de transferência de calor foi obtida através da Lei Construtal. Uma malha foi criada para resolver o problema e foi adequadamente refinada para garantir a precisão dos resultados. As equações governantes do problema foram resolvidas numericamente usando o software ANSYS / Fluent®. Este estudo mostra que a posição da aleta que maximiza o número de Nusselt médio, nessas condições, está no ponto X1 ≈ 0,3 da superfície inferior. Para a razão de aspecto (r) da aleta, observou-se que a minimização do número médio de Nusselt médio ocorre para r entre 15 e 25. Considerando todas as geometrias estudadas, a otimizada pode atingir um desempenho em torno de 50% superior se comparado com o pior caso, comprovando a importância da avaliação geométrica neste tipo de problema de engenhaaria, bem como a eficácia da abordagem Construtal

Constructal design de caminhos condutivos não uniformes em forma de “T” para a refrigeração de corpos geradores de calor

Este estudo numérico utiliza o método Constructal Design para reduzir os pontos quentes de um sistema com geração de calor uniforme por unidade de volume através da transferência de calor por condução. A ideia é facilitar o acesso do fluxo de calor através de uma via em forma de “T” empregando condutividades térmicas não uniformes para a base e topo do T. A função objetivo consiste em minimizar o excesso de temperatura máxima adimensional de todo o sistema (materiais de alta e de baixa condutividade térmica). A configuração do sistema pode variar sujeita à duas restrições: o volume total e o volume das vias de alta condutividade. Materiais de várias condutividades e frações de áreas são estudados. Os resultados mostram a aplicabilidade do Constructal Design para a melhoria do desempenho térmico do sistema. Para o valor de condutividade térmica elevada a melhor geometria tende para uma forma de I (isto é, a parte superior, tende a diminuir, tornando-se semelhante à base). A otimização de um grau de liberdade reduziu em 18% o excesso de temperatura da melhor configuração quando ela é comparada com a pior configuração

Linear static and dynamic analysis of thin laminated composite structures with a triangular finite element

Linear static and dynamic behavior of thin laminate composite structures are analyzed in this study using the Finite Element Method (FEM). Triangular elements with three nodes and six degrees of freedom per node (three displacement and three rotation components) are used. For static analysis the equilibrium equations are solved using Pre-conditioned Gradient Conjugate Method (GCM) while the dynamic solution is performed using the classical Newmark Method. Analytical evaluation of consistent element mass matrix and determination of membrane and membrane-bending coupling element stiffness matrix in the explicit form are showed. Numerical examples are presented and compared with results obtained by other authors with different types of elements and different schemes, proving the validity and effectiveness of the developed model